When the Dust Bowl Swept Through D.C., and the Man Who Knew It Was Coming

With summer wrapped up and fall in full swing, data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration revealed that this past summer was the hottest on record in the U.S. in the agency's 132 years of recordkeeping, surpassing the previous record set during the Dust Bowl summer of 1936. The Dust Bowl was a period of severe drought and devastating dust storms during the 1930s. But these storms weren't confined only to the Great Plains. They could travel multiple states away, decimating crops and blanketing towns in their wake. In fact, during the springs of 1934 and 1935, dust storms from the Midwest traveled all the way to Washington, D.C. And there was one man who knew they were coming: the director of the Soil Erosion Service, Hugh Hammond Bennett. ABOUT THE SERIES “Boundary Stones” is an animated history series from WETA which brings the rich histories of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia to life. Using historic photos and archival footage, “Boundary Stones” tells the stories of the past: pivotal events, strange-but-true tales, and the myths and legends from the DMV. From Black history to unique D.C. protests, true crime to civil rights, and more — “Boundary Stones” is your home for D.C. history. Watch more DC History videos:    • Boundary Stones - Washington DC Area Histo...   Read more DC History at our Boundary Stones website: https://boundarystones.weta.org/ Follow on Boundary Stones on social:   / boundary_stones   Subscribe to WETA's newsletter for the latest releases and recommendations! https://weta.org/about/publications/n... Follow WETA on social: Facebook:   / wetatvfm   Instagram:   / wetatvfm